We Found the Perfect Smartphone That Can Take Low Light OOTDs

We fashion girls know that the secret to a well-liked Instagram photo is a combination of great editing skills and a quality camera. But if you’re not into buying a separate pro camera for your travel and outfit photos, getting yourself a phone that can take that double tap-worthy shot is the perfect solution.

With daylight, snapping that OOTD is a breeze—all you need is the right angle and your editing app of choice. But under low light conditions, that’s where it gets tricky. You have to deal with graininess and lens blurring; details suddenly disappear and everything seems to look muddy (unless you use flash, of course.) So when I was asked to review a smartphone that specializes in low light photography, I was a little skeptical. Can a cameraphone really take a crisp and bright shot under such conditions? Read our unbiased review below to find out!

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What:Oppo F11 Pro, P18,990

The F11 Pro is the latest android smartphone from Oppo that promises to take great portraits even under very dim lighting. With its dual rear camera, a combined 48MP and 5MP setup, the F11 should make professional photography “easy” for anyone. Plus, with its larger built-in image sensor, the camera can absorb more light with each snap, making your images—even at night—instantly more vibrant. The front camera is at 16MP so it’s great for selfies, too!

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My Current Phone:

I’m currently using an iPhone 6 Plus. The camera is pretty fine for daytime photography but it tends to become quite grainy with indoor mood lighting.

How I Used It:

I tried out the F11 pro for about a week and took photos in various lowlight situations and conditions. I had a lot of events so I was able to see how the camera adjusts to different types of light.

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No filters here! Took some indoor shots in this coffee shop with the F11 pro. You can see even the smallest detail of the interiors.

PHOTO BY Maura Rodriguez

Stepped outside to snap an OOTD on a dimly lit sidewalk. Not as grainy as I would expect considering the lighting conditions. The F11 also has quite a wide-angle camera.

PHOTO BY Maura Rodriguez

It’s easy to use, and the massive screen makes it even more user-friendly.

The F11 is also equipped with a Portrait Mode that creates this blurring effect around the subject and adds a bit of depth to each photo.

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I tried out the F11's Portrait Mode on Gabbi Garcia under uneven blue and white light.

PHOTO BY Maura Rodriguez

Still using the Portrait Mode, but with better lighting, on Leila Alcasid. This setting really makes anyone look fresh!

PHOTO BY Maura Rodriguez

At night, even in really bad lighting, the F11 is still able to take that OOTD photo with no problem at all.

My OOTD shot using my iPhone 6 Plus:

On my phone, my OOTD looks quite grainy. Then again this was under really dim light outdoors around 9 pm.

PHOTO BY Maura Rodriguez

My OOTD shot using the F11 Pro:

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On the F11 Pro, the colors are warmer and a little bit brighter. Also, the reflection on the glass wall behind me is visibly sharper and more saturated. My outfit also looks more crisp and less blurry.

PHOTO BY Maura Rodriguez

I also compared how the photo looks on a computer screen and on an iOS phone to double check the sharpness and saturation.

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Conclusion:

At P19,000, I was really impressed by its quality! Not going to lie, the F11’s camera specs are so similar to a high-end smartphone that’s triple its market price. All the photos I took look brighter, sharper, and more saturated (even when imported to my desktop!) You can definitely post directly from your camera roll to your Instagram without needing to edit anything at all. Having tried it already, I’m pretty tempted to get one for myself for taking photos and videos. It’s handy, sleek, more affordable than a mirrorless camera, and takes great photos without needing to adjust any settings. What’s not to love?